ArizonaRealCountry.com 27 June 2019 Reprinted from @CraigSmithTeamRoping on InstaGram You’ve probably heard the saying – “Rope with the right hand, win with the left.” This is a good reminder that team roping is more than just roping. It’s about riding our horses in a way that puts the odds for success most in our favor. We’ve got to be on the same page with our equine partners, to the degree that there are no delays or resistance in the cues we offer. Our left hand (along with our legs) is what guides and controls our horse’s motion in a run. That action is what secondarily controls the steer and sets the tempo for our heeler. The quality of communication with our horse will determine how quick and effective we can make subtle adjustments. Even though a typical run is only between 7 and 10 seconds, we spend a majority of that time actually riding our horse rather than roping. Therefore, it’s important that we’re thinking ahead rather than just being on autopilot and allowing our horse or the steer to completely set the pace. Things become very inconsistent that way. Controlling the flow of a run and providing consistent handles is achieved by educating our horses to understand what we are asking them to do throughout a run, which starts long before we ever nod our head. Once it’s game time, it’s up to us to be clear and effective. The quality preparation we’ve instilled, along with quality roping and riding will always be reflected in our end result. “There’s a difference between being asked and being called upon. Asking allows the opportunity to choose. Being called upon requires your entire spirit to do whatever is required. Sometimes asking your horse to try something is fair and correct. Sometimes you need to call on him. That’s when you will discover the depth of your connection.” – Craig Johnson High-performance athletes are always thinking a step ahead, and this includes the equine variety. Although we can appreciate their initiative to take control in a run, it can sometimes interfere with our success. We don’t want our horse getting ahead of us right when, or immediately after, we throw our rope. We want them to take responsibility and anticipate, without making assumptions about when it’s time to get ahold of the steer (there’s a difference), which can cause us to shorten up our delivery and split the horns, miss completely, or duck out and lose our rope. If we’re always going towards the steer, it is easier for us to get a dally. We want the cue to our horse to get a hold of the steer to occur a split second after we get a dally. In order to free them up and help them understand that we are the pilot, rope some steers but instead of turning them off, get a dally, keep your position and follow them to the catch pen. Make sure to stay in position and keep your horse moving down the arena. You may also need to use your left leg a little to keep them standing up straight if they act like they want to duck out a little. Roping the Heel- O-Matic can help as well, but roping live steers puts us in an even more realistic environment to teach. It may take several runs like this to eliminate the anticipation from our horse before they are ready to make a regular run again. In the end, we want our horse to understand that we are a team and it takes both of us to be on the same page to accomplish our goal consistently. “A goal without a plan is just a wish." Our time in the practice pen is an opportunity to advance our roping and horsemanship in a way that gives us the best chance at being successful. As team ropers, we’re not guaranteed big contracts like other professional sports. Therefore, if we want to win big, we've got to be continuously working on our skills. Having a plan every time we practice keeps us progressing toward our goals. If we aren’t serious, it’s easy to become scattered, stagnant, and have limited success. Progression in our roping is the key to long term success. There are so many variables in team roping, which means there is always something we can be working on. Pick one to three areas of your roping to work on every time you head to the arena or rope the dummy. Stay focused on those areas throughout the entire practice. We invest a lot of our time, money, and passion into our roping. It deserves specific focus and our full effort. The quality preparation we’ve instilled, along with quality roping and riding will always be reflected in our end result.